Sangean PR-D19BK FM Stereo/AM Digital Tuning Portable Radio with Protective Bumper (Gray/Black)

I own both the PR-D18 (which I've had for several years) and this PR-D19, which I just got. Lots of reviews on here of both, so I'm mainly going to compare, since both are truly excellent radios. Sangean knows how to make a radio; it's not a sideline for them; they're committed to radios and it shows. (For the record, I'm not affiliated with the manufacturer or with anyone selling this or any other radio. This is my review of my own radio that I paid for myself at Amazon's prevailing price.) Compared to the PR-D18 (the single-speaker monaural version) this PR-D19 offers better reception on both AM and FM. This is said after a side-by-side comparison of many fringe signals. The difference is most significant on AM, as the 19 brings in weak signals with noticeably less noise. The wide/narrow bandwidth control is also a really nice addition to the 19, which the 18 doesn't have. It makes more difference on AM and it could really help with super-weak signals you're trying to listen to, but of course if you narrow down the already-tiny AM bandwidth, you do hear it (the sound gets muddy) but it's an option for very weak signals. Given this radio's sensitivity, you'll probably never need to use this control, but it's good to have. UPDATE: In further use of this radio I have found the narrow bandwidth setting to be quite useful on FM. You do not hear any appreciable reduction in audio fidelity when you select the narrow setting on FM (as you do on AM), so at first you're tempted to think it's not really doing anything. But I tried it on some really weak, distant FM stations and found that the inability to receive these may actually be due to adjacent-channel interference, and switching to narrow bandwidth will eliminate that and clear up the weak station so you can hear it. The effectiveness of this control on FM makes at least two or three FM stations listenable at my location that NO other radios I own will receive cleanly, making the FM performance of the PR-D19 even better than I originally thought. Don't forget to try this setting if you own this radio and have an FM station you find hard to receive. FM is very, very close to the 18; in fact I could search out just a few weak signals to discern any difference at all, but the 19 was just a touch more sensitive on FM than the 18. Sangean, in its radio wisdom, intelligently has set the stereo threshold on the 19 fairly high, so it won't try to get a stereo signal unless the signal is suitably strong. Or, you can just lock it into mono by holding down the display/mono button. This is a huge plus, compared to other radios that will go into stereo mode even if it means extra hiss, often without giving the listener any other option. (Make no mistake, though, this radio operates easily in stereo on the vast majority of stations - many 50+ miles away. The stations resolved by the 19 clearly in mono are weak stations that most other radios probably wouldn't receive at all.) Size-wise, the 19 is only about an inch longer than the 18 and maybe just a small fraction of an inch thicker; otherwise the dimensions are identical. Nice. There's probably not anyplace you could take the 18 where the 19 wouldn't fit. One really nice feature of the 19 that the 18 lacks are the top-mounted presets. Generally I'm not a big preset user because they're usually not much less trouble than just tuning in a station. (This is especially true on radios with hundreds of presets, where you have the problem that you never remember what's on what preset anyhow, so they're almost pointless, and it often takes several button-presses to activate a preset, anyway, so I'll just tune it in manually.) But here, on the other hand, you have presets right on top of the radio, which is excellent because you can activate them by feel, and with a single button press, which is perfect in a dark environment. Plus, because you press down on them, you can use them one-handed. (With front-mounted buttons for presets, you have to hold the radio or at least support it from behind, otherwise you'll just knock it over rather than successfully pressing the button.) In terms of sound quality, Sangean often tends to go for a warm, bass-biased sound. People who like the old-time radio sound love it. I'm happy with the way this 19 and the 18 sound (the tonal quality of the sound is identical) but if I had my druthers, I'd like it to sound a little more brassy. I know what Sangean is trying to do, or I think I do anyway, because some people perceive the brassy sound as cheap, like an early transistor radio, and they don't want that. I'd enjoy the presence of a tone control that would allow the listener some say in the matter, however. Battery usage on the 18 is moderate and I expect this to be similar from what I've seen thus far. I have seen a few complaints about battery life in other reviews of both of these radios, but you have to keep in mind that these radios produce a lot more audio power than other small radios, and the amplifier is what consumes the lion's share of the power in a radio. I'd suggest buying a set of rechargeable AA batteries and a charger (about $15 in total) and never worry about battery life again. If you want, you can keep a set of AA alkalines in a drawer so you can put them in and still use the radio while your rechargeable batteries are being charged. Finally, the Aux-in feature is a great addition to the 19, which the 18 doesn't have. Easy to play music streamed from your phone or tablet. Some have suggested Bluetooth for this radio but I'm just as happy with the 3.5 jack - just plug it in and go with no need to go through the hassle of pairing. (One suggestion for using Aux-in: I am seeing reviews of other audio equipment in which people are reporting that they have damaged the speakers of a radio or other equipment by using aux-in. While I have not heard of that happening with this radio, it can happen on any equipment with this capability. To avoid this problem, turn off the radio when connecting a cable between the radio and your phone, tablet, or other audio source device. This is to avoid loud crackling noises that can occur due to electrical interference when making the connection, which can damage the speakers. Then start playing the audio on your output device at a low level and then turn the radio on. Adjust the volume on the output device so the level coming from the radio’s speakers during aux-in play is no louder than a radio station produces at the same radio volume setting. You can switch back and forth from aux-in to a radio station briefly to compare the volume you’re getting with aux-in to that of a station. When you are using a device that has its own internal amplifier, such as your phone, failing to perform this test can cause you to force more power through the speakers than they can handle, potentially causing damage or outright failure.) The PR-D19 is an excellent radio that has "just right" controls, features and complexity. You can set the alarms and all that, or you can just turn it on and listen to it. And, reception-wise, this is just about as good as it gets.

I listen to a radio program that doesn't come in strongly with my "normal" radio. I wanted a radio that gave me options to make it PORTABLE if I wanted. I have numerous products that use AA and AAA Batteries, so I have very good rechargeable batteries, and an excellent LA CROSSE charger (worth any price if you use batteries a lot). Batteries are expensive and horrible for landfills. I haven't spent money on batteries for YEARS. I found very few specialty-radios that used AA batteries, although I only looked for an hour or so. This radio is a nice size (almost identical to an old VHS tape or a paperback book), and definitely boosts your ability to get certain radio stations. It is NOT a magical cure for picking up radio from 100 miles away. I can't get "98 Rock" which is 45 miles from my house, and barely can make-out "97.1 Wash" which is 20-30 miles from my house. This product works perfectly for my main purpose which is a talk-radio show, not a strong signal but it is close and this radio clears up my problem quite nicely. I listened to some music stations to test the speakers, and I would say that the radio puts out a little more BASS than I prefer. But I suspect that many would say the speakers are very decent. Battery life is very good. Good rechargeable batteries (which I use) actually have more mAh than alkaline batteries. I've been listening to the radio at a moderate level for 15 hours now, and the 4 AA batteries seem to have half of their life left. My volume level is not soft but I'm not filling up a garage either. The battery-indicator on the screen is a nice touch. The rubber bumper makes it more durable I guess, but this isn't a US Army radio. The antennae sticks out 26.5", and is the only thing I would worry about if the thing ever fell or got bumped. I would say that the body and the antennae would take some abuse though. Wild guess - the antennae screw looks like it is made to replace an antennae if needed. I like that there isn't a carry-handle on it. It is the size of a paperback book - a handle seems silly. This is a very good, utilitarian radio for someone that doesn't need very many frills, and maybe has a hard time getting in certain stations on the TOY RADIO's that come in alarm clocks and so-forth. 4 AA batteries probably give DAYS of listening time.

I am no radio expert but have had this a couple weeks so thought I would give it a review. I was torn between getting something really portable vs something that would seemingly perform great but weigh 5 lbs. This seemed to be a happy middle ground so thought I would try this. I purchased this based on reviews of the same radio in a mono version indicating it was almost perfect on FM, and really good on AM. I wanted to stereo version so I purchased this. Overall I would probably buy it again. Its pretty good for its price, but a long way from perfect. The goods: - Its approximately the size of a hard cover book and weighs about a pound, so its easy to take with you. - Its very intuitive and easy to use. Hold the search button down briefly and it will scan to next channel. Hold the channel button down until it beeps to save the station to memory. - It will save 20 total stations (10 AM and 10FM, on 4 different saved memory groups). The saved stations are accessed from buttons on the top of the radio - The speakers sound OK, but do distort pretty badly at higher volumes - The FM receiver is fairly good - but does fade in and out a little, and seems to drift a little as well - It does not come with an AC power supply - which is to be expected in this price and size - however I have been using it on batteries and its battery usage does not seem to be excessive - at least yet.. It uses 4AA - It has an Aux input for something like an MP3 player. The Not Great items - The worst part about this radio is the headphone out. Its very low volume and way has way too much bass. Its pretty much not usable on headphones or external speakers. I am not sure why Sangean would release a product with such an obvious defect. I didn't buy it really to use with external speakers or headphones anyway, but if you are - don't buy this one. - The AM is just OK. There are really only 3 AM stations in the area, all of which I can also pick up on a really old pocket Sony, and this radio doesn't do much better. Overall I am satisfied with this radio, but its a compromise. If you want something super portable this is not quite it but its close, If you want something with really good performance and sound this is not it either, but its not bad.

UPDATE JANUARY 3, 2021 — CONTINUE GOOD USE AFTER ABOUT 2 YEARS. (1) I normally ue it with AC adapter power. Wanted to use briefly on battery but did not work, showed batteries dead on good new batteries. THIS WAS CORRECTED by removing the batteries and putting the same batteries back in. THEREFORE, THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE ONE OR MORE ATTERY CONACT WAS NOT CONNECTING. This could just be a small dust particle on the battery contact, or contact not tight enough. PROBLEM SOLVED. (2) I purchase another Sangean, very similar design, PR-D7. This is not stereo, controls are postioned better (on-off in upper right corner top instead of front panel) and it can recharge batteries. ——— Previous update --- loving this more and more. Mini-boom-box, sounds great, great design and quality. Sangean does it right. ----- Nice as a bedside radio, use for a small or quiet spaces, etc. The size and function makes it bigger than a "pocket radio" but smaller than a "boom box". The sound you get is consistent with this. Great quality and reception, for the size. That's fine for my needs. Just don't expect "boom box volume", because that would be like getting a 7" tablet expecting to see movies on a big screen. However, this radio does have an output-earphone jack, and there are lots of amplified speakers you could plug it into, so one could get a big sound from such amplified speakers with this radio as the signal input For example, Anker has good powered speakers for $20, $60, etc that you can plug this into with an aux cable ---- again, not needed for my current use. Overall --- I'm a fan of Sangean products, and this radio is an example of their great simple-to use elegant design, quality and reliability.

I've had the radio for several weeks now, and really like it. It is sensitive enough on the FM band that I can get all my favorite local stations without having to extend the whip antenna. It's easy to use with the 5 station preset buttons on the top (5 buttons x 2 "bands" each for AM and FM = 10 presets for AM and 10 presets for FM). I've used it for nighttime AM band DX'ing and it works well for that. Also picks up distant FM well. Sound quality is good, although I would have like to have seen a tone control on it. Volume is adjusted by + and - buttons so is increased in steps instead of linearly with a rotary control, but that's ok. The rubber edge of the cabinet seems to protect it well. The only negative on the cabinet is the front and back are shiny plastic and are fingerprint magnets. First time through the instructions for setting the alarm are confusing, but once you've done it you realize it's actually really straightforward. Overall, a very nice radio that is worth the price.

When this radio arrived, I was dismayed, It was VERY small, and plastic. Guess I didn't read the size dimensions of the product specs. However, I was pleasantly surprised and very pleased with the quality. I am an artisan and wanted a radio with decent sound quality to play in the background as I painted or created fiber art. Simple, no frills, no CD player. This tiny radio really delivers. While there is no adjustment control to refine bass or treble, none is needed. The sound quality is full and rich, and a perfect blend. This may be a tiny product, but it is huge in performance. A hidden gem. I highly recommend it!.

Update 2 (9/15/23): After using the radio for 3 years and 3 months for about 12 hours a week on average, the radio now loses the presets and clock when I change the batteries intermittently. It never did that before as long as I turned it off before changing the batteries. I assume there's a capacitor inside that has gone bad so I'm knocking off a star for that and another for the rapid battery drain. Everything else still works fine but it's a pain to redo the presets and clock every time I change batteries, especially since this goes through the batteries so rapidly. Radios should not have problems in that amount of time. Original review: I've owned a Sangean PR-D18 radio for years that I used as my main radio, bur I decided to try out the PR-D19 because of the stereo speakers. It's awesome. It's every bit as good and maybe slightly better than the PR-D18 for AM DXing. I'm picking up AM stations at night as far away as 1200 miles under perfect conditions. FM is also outstanding, with no problems picking up any station within 70 miles and a few beyond that. I like the stereo speakers. They sound better than the mono speaker on the PR-D18. This has become my main radio with the PR-D18 relegated to a back-up role and for traveling, since it's smaller. If you're trying to decide between the PR-D18 and PR-D19, I recommend the PR-D19 for around $5 more currently. Update: This has become my favorite radio. I've bought and tested quite a few radios since buying this one and keep coming back to the PR-D19. I recently got a Sangean PR-D4W which I like and will review in the future, but its a lot heavier and not so much fun to hold while doing AM DXing. The PR-D4W has somewhat better AM reception due to a larger ferrite bar antenna and the speaker sounds marginally better, though it only has one speaker.

I am becoming my father. He worked outdoors all his life and listened to AM talk radio. ALL THE TIME. And I find myself now doing the same thing. (Radio listening, not working outdoors!) So, I have an upstairs radio which I use while getting myself ready for the day and another radio downstairs where I spend most of my day. The upstairs radio was a cheap worldband radio that finally stopped working and I needed a replacement. I read several reviews of this Sangean radio and understood that it ate batteries for breakfast, so the fact that it uses up two pairs of rechargeables every few weeks doesn't bother me. But there are other design issues with this Sangean PR-D19 that DO bother me. - The sound quality is just ok. Again, I listen to mostly AM talk stations and the sound of voices seems a bit thin. Interestingly, music sounds fine on FM stations. So if you're getting this radio to listen to music on FM stations, you'll like this Sangean. - The volume control buttons are in a odd place. Instead of being directly below the power button, where one might expect them, they are on the left side of the front panel array of controls. I'll probably get used to this placement, but it just seems like an odd spot for them. - The presets for stations are on the top of the radio and are well hidden. I have the blue and white version of this radio and the preset buttons are blue-on-blue. And being on top of the radio, they're just a little too easy to press while carrying the radio from room to room. OK, so those are the things that I don't like. But the radio also has some features that I appreciate: + The blue and white version of the radio is handsome. It looks great and the blue band around the radio is rubbery and protects both surfaces and the radio itself. + The FM stereo sounds very nice, especially when playing music. I don't know how Sangean does it - make a thin sounding AM band and a rather rich sounding FM. + The radio is a nice size. It is great for carrying around the house one-handed. + It has some nice extra settings, like a sleep timer and a backlit display that stays on for about ten seconds after touching any of the buttons.

Buen sonido, muy completo, robusto y bonito diseño pero la Onda Media no se escucha bién todo lo contrario.

Este radio tiene muy buen sonido y a demás tiene 5 memorias ,lo único que veo es que no trae en contacto para corriente, pero su material es de excelente calidad

A nice looking radio. The FM reception is excellent. It automatically selects FM stations with precise tuning, example FM101.7 or .4 or whatever you desire. However, with AM stations the tuner is in increments of 10 only, no single digit adjustment. Example, if you want AM873, it cannot precisely tune in it. It will select 870 or 880. There is no way you can select 873. Because of that design fault, the signal is poor; hissing and scratchy sound. It’s a shame, because I really liked the radio for its looks and FM sound quality. I returned this radio and chose another model with both automatic and manual tuning in AM mode.

I love the size!!! So compact and simply easy to use. I was able to set my fav stations without any issues. The blue and white combo is so soothing and looks very elegant. I'm going to use in my bedroom to listen to music from any radio station and fall into deep sleep. Hard to find digital setting radio these days. Most of them are fine tuning. I still love a good old portable radio to keep me company. These days, I do agree music comes from different devices but getting music out of a real radio is amazing. Thank you Amazon for still having stock of these type of items preferred by a specific group of people. Hahaha.

This is my 4th Sangean radio. All have been working well for years. I wanted a small unit for travelling with. This unit did not disappoint. Small and easy to take to the beach or camping. FM reception is excellent. Does go through batteries a little quicker than other portables I've had but i attribute this to that fact I play it at a fairly loud volume. On a recent 2 week holiday I had it on constantly and still have about half battery life showing on battery life indicator. Sound that comes out of this little box is actually outstanding in my opinion.